Watch the video above and talk about it with a group or mentor. Learn more.
Want to lose weight, but aren't sure how the math works behind burning calories and fat? Check out this topic.
Key Points:
- To live and function, our bodies burn energy. Most weight loss strategies say that to lose weight, we need to consistently burn more energy than we consume. This seems to be logical, but the principle can only hold up for one year.
- Imagine a leaky bucket and that it represents the amount of fat or tissue in your body and the leak represents how quickly you are burning energy and we are always adding water to the bucket. When we are in “steady state,” the amount of energy being burned is balanced with the amount of energy being “added to the bucket.”
- The more “water” you add to the “bucket,” the more quickly the liquid will leak from the bucket! The larger a person is, the more quickly they can burn energy. A 250-pound adult man runs on a lot more energy than a 10-pound baby.
- We don’t lose weight at the same rate. Our weight loss always adapts from one steady state to another. To lose weight and keep it off, you need to be consistent not for a month, but for several years!
- A good way to manage weight loss is to understand that for every ten calories you remove from your diet per day, this will eventually translate to one pound of weight loss over time.
- The rule of thumb, then, is that to lose weight and keep it off, you have to change your steady state – and changing your steady state is a marathon, not a sprint.
Quote This:
Slow and steady wins the race. -Aesop
Talk About It
- What is your initial reaction to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- Are you happy with your weight right now? Why or why not?
- Why is it important to be consistent if you want to lose weight and keep it off?
- What health/weight loss goals do you have for this year? How will you accomplish them?
- Write a personal action step based on this conversation.
